A scientist on the run. A reluctant dragon-protector. A firestorm that will not be ignored.

After reading the first Dragonfire book, I knew I would wanA scientist on the run. A reluctant dragon-protector. A firestorm that will not be ignored.

After reading the first Dragonfire book, I knew I would want to read the next book. Sexy, free-spirited Donovan Shea had caught my attention and I wanted to see more of him, and his book Kiss of Fire, second book in the series, did not disappoint.

Alex is a brilliant scientist who has invented The Green Machine, an eco-friendly car who will be able to run on salt water. After her lab was destroyed, and her partner tortured and killed by sadistic Slayers (bad dragons in this book), Alex is on the run, not entirely sure of her own sanity, after all she is seeing dragons, but desperate to meet the deadline for her invention.

Donovan, on the hand, is sent to protect her, not knowing that she is his firestorm, the human that will be able to mate with him and give him a dragon child. With his own childhood issues of parental abandonment, Donovan is determined not to consummate the firestorm, not matter how much he finds the human sexy and attractive.

Meanwhile, the battle for the world’s survival between the Pyr (good dragons) and the Slayers (bad dragons) is escalating to scarier proportions as the Slayers use dark magic to create zombie-like dragons of friends and family members of the Pyr. To ensure their victory, Alex and Donovan will need to face their fears, embrace their destinies as Wizard and Warrior respectively, and harness the unwanted firestorm into a power that can tip the scales of the conflict.

Kiss of Fury is a mixture of romance, action, magic, humor and excitement. I like the pairing of Alex and Donovan, two strong-willed characters but with soft hearts. I like that Alex was strong and confident enough to go after Donovan. I’m starting to like more and more heroines that know their hearts and are willing to go after their guy. I also like the secondary characters, like Rafferty, Donovan’s mentor and Sophie, the Wyvern, the only female dragon who serves as some sort of prophetess.

Cooke’s world of shape-shifting dragons is getting more fleshed out here, and it is a fascinating place. With magic, prophecy and fated lovers, she has me hooked. I know the next book is going to be Eric, the leader of the Pyr, and I’m glad that I found this series just now, because I don’t have long to wait for its release on Feb 2009.

A world of shape-shifting dragon warriors. A self-reliant loner blacksmith. A bookstore-owner ace accountant. A fated meeting that can change the courA world of shape-shifting dragon warriors. A self-reliant loner blacksmith. A bookstore-owner ace accountant. A fated meeting that can change the course of destiny.

I picked Kiss of Fire from the library because I was intrigued with the idea of shape-shifting dragons, and I’m always on the look-out for a new paranormal series to read. Furthermore, with the second book besides it, Kiss of Fury, it guarantees me the chance to read the next one if I like the first.

Kiss of Fire is about Sara Keegan, an ace accountant who now runs a New Age bookstore she inherited from her recently deceased aunt. After nearly killed by a mysterious stranger, she was saved by what she thought was a dragon. Truth be told, it was Quinn Tyrell, a Pyr, a race of beings that can shape-shift into dragons. He is also the Smith with power over metals, and according to prophecy Sara, unknown to her is the Seer. Fated by destiny and the advent of “firestorm”, a mating signal that pulls them to each unequivocably, Sara was drawn into the magical world of the Pyr, and the man who claims to be her mate and protector. Meanwhile, Quinn has to confront his own misconceptions of his past, learn to trust and work with his fellow Pyr, and follow what his heart wants.

I enjoyed the book. Deborah Cooke’s prose is pretty simple and very readable. There is almost a childlike quality to the words, that makes the story just flow. What I love most is her descriptions of the dragons, most especially the focus on their colors. The fight scenes among the Pyr was also well done, and I can actually close my eyes and see them battling in the skies.

I also like the hero and the heroine, although the attraction between them seem to happen just too fast. I guess, the fated element is in play here, so there is not much struggling on their part on being together. There is also the introduction of the other Pyrs who obviously will be playing lead roles in the next books I assume. I’m sure she will expand more on the world she has created for the Pyr and the Slayers in the next stories to come.

Overall, I would recommend this book with some reservation. Some readers might find the romance a little too simplistic, but for a quick, light read with some magic and fantasy meld in, Kiss of Fire is not a bad choice.